Sequester cuts to trim some Ore. jobless pay

The automatic sequester of federal funds will have an effect on unemployment benefits and job search services in Oregon, the state Employment Department said Tuesday.

Individuals receiving Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or EUC, will see a reduction in their weekly benefits of 10.7 percent. This reduction will begin the week of March 31, 2013 and be reflected in checks mailed the week of April 7th to claimants.

Currently there are more than 28,000 individuals receiving EUC benefits. The Oregon Employment Department will notify each claimant by mail in early April regarding this reduction.

EUC claimants are encouraged to visit www.workinginoregon.org where they can access additional information and an online calculator to estimate their payment reduction. The website will be update regularly as more information becomes available.

Those on EUC who have questions not addressed by our website should call 503-947-1342 or 1-800-237-3710 extension 71342. We recommend use of the website first since call volume may be high causing longer wait times for service.

Individuals receiving regular unemployment benefits will not be affected.

In addition, federal cuts to employment service state grants could result in the reduction of job search assistance and employer recruitment activities. Those impacts will be assessed as more details become available, the agency said.